Kelly Downing is all smiles at the Christchurch Demo Dabble and Do-it day with her OTTTB The Growler.
Kelly Downing wasn’t too keen on introducing her green off-the-track Thoroughbred to dressage, despite having evented up to 95cm.
“I didn’t feel like we are good enough to participate and I didn’t feel knowledgeable enough to gain much from it. It’s an area of my riding I’ve always wanted to improve and have lessons in, but struggle with,” she says.
But when she read that the Demo, Dabble and Do-it day was designed for people like her and on horses at any level, she thought, “why not!”
Kelly was one of 19 riders and 12 spectators from school age to their late 60s who attended last weekend’s Demo, Dabble and Do-it day at the Dunstan Horsefeeds NEC in Christchurch. Most came from Canterbury or Ashburton, and they were joined by two women from Egypt – one of whom had ridden to Prix St George level – and both in the process of buying horses locally.
Originally from the UK, 37-year-old Kelly had become part of the horse racing industry through her partner 10 years ago. They took on “The Growler” a 4-year-old Thoroughbred gelding with whom she achieved her amateur racing licence and hurdle ticket.
“He began learning about hack life when he was rising 11, and since then we’ve done everything from hunting and barrel racing to eventing! But dressage has always felt like a hurdle too far,” she says.
Seija Parkkali-Glew guides a rider in the dressage arena.
It was the first DDD event to be delivered locally by South Island ambassadors Sally Goldsmith and Seija Parkkali-Glew, who had both previously been involved as ambassadors.
While Sally and Seija led the delivery of the day on the ground, the event was supported by the ESNZ Community team behind the scenes with planning, administration, promotion and programme support. This locally delivered model is an important part of how DDD can continue to grow while keeping costs manageable for riders, without requiring ESNZ staff to travel to every event.
Three FEI dressage riders were on hand to guide and support the riders, and the demo rider was Angela Valentine who had recently competed in her first Prix St George test on a horse she trained up through the grades herself.
Angela Valentine gives a dressage demonstration as the riders and spectators look on.
“This was great as Angela gave us all so much confidence that we would be able to give it a go too,” says Kelly.
“Riding movements badly and then perfectly was a great visual way to show us the differences and what the judges want to see, and that was done in every movement from a 20m circle to rein back! She also left us with a great tip: don’t forget to smile!” she laughs.
Seija says she was pleased with the turnout, but had been quite surprised by how many of the riders had been nervous in the lead up to the event.
“Even when we were sitting and having lunch in the hall after the unmounted session, a couple of the girls said they were really nervous about riding in the next session. So I said, oh, you know, you don’t need to be. It’s a perfect environment to actually get on and do it.”
Seija and Sandy Fryatt are both ESNZ registered coaches, and worked with the riders before they presented themselves to the judges for a 20 minute test and feedback session.
Kelly was please to find the experience nowhere near as daunting as she had expected.
“Although I knew there were lots of flaws, the judge didn’t focus in on them all making me feel bad. Instead, she just said that with some relaxation we would start to score really well. She gave us some exercises to do and within minutes Growler was very comfortable in the arena, and she also gave me a couple things to teach him which will be useful tools in the future,” says Kelly.
A rider gets some helpful tips at the DDD day.
ESNZ National Development Manager Ashra McAvinue says this is exactly why ESNZ does DDD.
“That’s the heart of Demo, Dabble & Do-it, creating a space where you can come along without needing to be “good enough”, knowing everything already, or having it all figured out.
“After the incredible volume of positive feedback from our recent South Island DDD Dressage Day, we’ve been reminded just how powerful a welcoming, low-pressure environment can be for riders,” says Ashra.
Kelly reckons the best part for her was that she never felt out of her depth or out of place all day long, despite not having done anything like it before.
“I left feeling like I had so much more knowledge on how to get the best out of my horse, so much more confidence in our ability and so much more drive to progress.”
But most importantly, it was a genuinely positive experience for all horses and their riders.
Ashra says ESNZ is now taking that same approach into Para Equestrian.
“Our upcoming DDD Para Day at Christchurch RDA on Saturday 22 August is an opportunity to come along and discover what Para Equestrian is all about. Whether you already ride within Para, think you might be eligible, have questions about classification and compensating aids, or simply want to learn more.”
Paralympian Anthea Dixon, and Caitlin Holmes will join the event as Para ambassadors.
“They bring a huge amount of knowledge, experience and passion, but just as importantly, a genuine desire to help people discover what might be possible. If the feedback from our DDD Dressage day is anything to go by, this is going to be a pretty special day,” says Ashra.
Meantime, Kelly is continuing on her exciting new trajectory as a dressage convert.
“Growler is the best horse I’ve ever had and gives everything 110%. His racing owners still keep up with what he’s doing to this day and love seeing him out having a blast,” says Kelly.
“I rode him the next day and had the same fantastic ride that I had at the DDD on Sunday and was able to practice what I had learned. I would definitely recommend anyone at any stage of riding go along to a DDD either with or without a horse as you can’t not get something out of it!”